Pneumatic device for feeding finishing-blanks to box-covering machines.



l PNEUMATIC nEvIcE Fon rEEDIN rrNIsHiNG-BLANKS To Box-covnnrive'r MACHINES.

MELVILLE-E. PETERS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915 Y Application led Apri120, 1914. Serial No. 833,295.

To all whm t may concern.'

Beit known that I, MELvILLE E. PETERS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Pneumatic Device for Feeding Finishing-Blanks to Box-Covering Machines, of

whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to a pneumaticallyA operating method and apparatus for feeding box covering and finishing blanks to box covering machines, and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a pneumatically operating method and apparatus for;

feeding gummed finishing blanks from a supply of the same, into the unfinished boxor box blank receiving center of a box covering machine; and second, to provide a simple, quick acting and positively operating blank feeding method and apparatus for box covering machines.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: v

Figure l` is a vertical sectional View through a portion of arbox covering machine, showing my improved mechanism for transferring box covers from a. receiving table to a platen, in position to be secured upon boxes. Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a rear end view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4i is a side view of the cam and parts actuated thereby, for reciprocating the rod which carries the suction box.- Fig. 5 is a side view of 'the cam and levers connected therewith,

.which effect a quarter rotation of the reciprocating rod which carries the suction box. Fig. 6 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional vie'w of the pump for exhausting air from, and admitting air to, the suction box. Fig. 7 is a side View, partly in section, of the suction box for transferring the box covers from a receiving table to the platen. Fig. 8 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view through the rear bearing of the supporting rod for the suction box. Fig. 9 is a vertical,

longitudinah sectional View through the same. Fig. 10 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view through the forward bearmg for the suct-ion box supporting rod; vand Fig. 11 is a planview, partly in section,

` showing the rear portion of the suction box supporting rod, thesleeve @a the end thereof, and .thel link which connects the said sleeve with the operatingl lever.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views. i

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a fragmentary 'part of the frame of a paper box covering machine.

My invention can be used in connection with any machine in which finishing paper or other sultable iinishing material blanks lare used to cover paste-board boxes, or with machines used to assemble them either partially' or wholly finishing blanks.

In the practical application of my invenltion, it is necessary that some means be provided for gumming the blanks; that is, of applylng a coat of glue or 'other adhesive material to them, and this coat o-f gum or Y glue may be applied to the Whole of one side of each blank or to only apart or portion of one side ofeach blank. This feature of my invention can be carried out by applying the gum by hand or by any yof the blank gumming machines at present in use in the art of making paper boxes, and there 4are a number of machines at present in use for thispurpose, which can be used with my invention.

I do not illustrate' a means of applying an adhesive material to the blanks, as such means does not form a part of my present invention. It is understood, however, that the blanks are preferably 'gummed, andare transferred from the gumming means to the table 2, one at-a time, and are placedby an attendant or by mechanical means, against the registering plates 3, which are adjustable in slots 3A, formed in the table, that are arranged to receive clamping screws 3B in such a manner that the plates can be adjustably set in positions that will enable anattendant to register different sized blanks-centogether jointly with the aov trally on the table and in position to allow one of1 its sides to extend beyond thel inner edge 3G, of the table 2, ready to be seized and gripped-against the surfacei, of an air impulse device 5, which is operated by suitably air actuating mechanism. Thisv air preferably, however, use and; illustrate anV air pump for actuating air to grip and release the blanks at their-registering points,

and illustrate this air pump attached to the frameof themachine,l and. arranged to be' y driven by power transmitting .mechanism which, with the pump, I will describe hereinafter'. l

The box covering machines at presentm use comprise a frame 1, a fragment of which I illustrate, a platen 7, to which the blanks are fed and on which they are deposited at what is termed a registering point, and also to which the paste-board box covering blanks or made-up paste-board boxes, as the casel0 may be, are fed, and on which they are also deposited, either directly, or first onto a form block 8 that normally stands above the platenI and by which almost instantly afterward .the paste-board boxor pasteboard blank, as the case may be, is moved down on top of and against the finishing blanks, and instantly afterward the finishing paper and paste-board box or the pasteboard blanks together are fed into the box covering mechanism, and which acts to fold the blanks around the made-up box or to fold the two blanks, as the case may be,` up into finished boxes. My present invention, however, has nothing to do with the mechanism that wraps the covering and finishing blank around a stayed cornered or an unstayed cornered box, or that is intended to be folded 'up with a blank piece of paste-board cutto lie-formed into a paste-board box, as the case may be, my present invention being limited -to pneumatic method of feeding a gummed blank from a registered position or a table 2, adapted to receive it from a gumming machine, to a predetermined registering position on the platen of a box covering machine where the blanks are positioned to receive the boxes that are to be covered. To this end, my invention in the preferred form in which I have illustrated it,

consists of a bar 9, preferably a square bar,

I arrange these bearingsl in the following manner: The bearing 10 comprises a bracket 12, that is detachably secured to the frame 1, of the box covering nlachine. The free end of this lbracket is provided with a capped journal box 13, in which a sleeve 14 is rotatably mounted, and this sleeve is pro- 65,gdescribed. The bearing 11, comprises a -vided with a square axial aperture 15,

`through which the square bar S) extends slida'bly, while the bar and sleeve are free to rotate or turn through a part of a full revolution, which I preferably limit to a quarter of a revolution, as will be hereinafter fully capped journal box 16, that projects from a bracket portion that is detachably secured to or forms an integral part of. the frame 1, and this capped journal box is arranged to receive rotatably the hub portion 17, of a bevel gear 1S, which extends loosely through and beyond it and is provided with a collar 19, at'its end, which is secured to it by a. pin 20, or other suitable means. The bevel gear isprovided with a square shaped axial aperture through which the bar 9 extends loosely and slidably, and it is this gear which effects through another gea-r 21 and other coperating mechanism, the quarter turning or oscillating movement of the square bar S). This gear 21 is supported in mesh with the gear 18 and at right angles to it in a capped bearbearing and its end is provided with a projecting lever 25, the outer end of which is pivotally secured by a pin 26, to one end of a lever 27. This lever 27 is pivoted at its opposite end by a pin 28 to one end of a rock arm 29, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to the frame 1 by a pin 30. This rock arm is provided at the center of its arm with a roller 31, which is arranged to project into a cam groove 32 formed in a cam 33, which is mounted on a driving shaft 34, that is journaled in suitable bearings 35, which are positioned on the frame. The cam imparts suiiicient movement to the rock arm 29 and the lever 27, to cause the gear 21 to turn a quarter of a revolution, which rotary movement is imparted to the gear 18, and it is turned a quarter of a revolution and it turns the square bar 9 a quarter of a revolution, and as it does so, it turns an adjustable bracket 3G, which is slidably mounted on the opposite `end of the bar 9. This adjustable bracket 3G is slidaloly mounted on the square bar 9 and is secured thereon in adjusted positions by a set screw 37, and it supports at. its free end the air impulse devicel 5, that grips the blanks and conveys theln tothe. platen 7 of the box covering machine. and releases them at a poinl` where the boxes will register on thenl. 'Ihis air impulse box will be described hereinafter.

The rear end of the square bar 9, extends ashort ,distance beyond the bevel gear, and to its end a sleeve 3S is rotativcly secured. This sleeve 3H is rolalively mounted on a reduced round shouldered portion 4() that is formedon the terminal end of thc square bar 9, and 'from opposite sides of the sleeve, project screws 41, which rceei-ve the ends 49. of the yoke-shaped lever 43, which fornis one end'of a link, the opposite end of which is also provided with a yoke-shaped end that straddles one end of a crank. lever 45. This cral'ik lever is pivotally supported inmiams yoke lever 47, the opposite end oi which is provided with a forked end 48 that extends to and straddles the driving shaft 34, which i acts aS a support for the forked end of this 'lever, and permits it to slide reciprocally fthereon. This forked lever is provided with `.a roller-"N49, `which is secured to it intermediate of its ends, by a pin 50. This Aroller is arranged to project 'into a cam l--groovel 51, formed in a cam disk 52, which 1s mounted on-and is securedto the driving .shatj34, and is arranged to impart a reciprocal throw stroke to this forked lever and to the crank lever 45 connected to it fand tothe link 43, to impart an intermittent reciprocal stroke movement to the lsquare bar 9, while the sleeve 38 permits the bar 9 to be turned through a quarter otra revolution on the inoperative stroke otfits vreciprocal movement, as will be fully described bearing 56, that is secured to the trame and uponwhich a belt receiving pulley 58 is also mounted and secured, which may be connected by a belt with any suitable motor or rotary power transmitting mechanism.

' It is essential that the bracket 36 at the forward end of the bar 9, have a quarter turn movement on its backward or inopera; tive stroke of its reciprocal movement@ in order that the air impulse box at its end may pass by the formblock 8, of the box covering machine, because'` the form block moves immediately down against the platen the instant after a finishing blank has been deposited at the 'box registering point of the platen 7, and this form block is consequently in the path of the return movement of the outer end of the air impulse box. Consequently the square bar 9, is positioned far enough to one side of the form vblock 8, to entirely clear it on its reciprocal strokes, but it is necessary that the air ims pulse device at its free end be arranged so that on its operativeblank moving stroke it will move centrally underneath the form block 8, in order that it'may deposit-the tinishing blanks centrally underneath it, in-

asmuch as the paste-board box that the.

finishing blank is to cover, is either placed first on the form block, or is eddirectly on top. ofthe finishing blank instantly after it is deposited on the platen. Consequently,

in order that the air impulse box may avoid contact with the form block 8, on its back stroke, the air impulse device must be moved vto one side of the form block at the time it starts to move on its backward stroke to grip another blank, and this form block clearing movement of the air impulse device is accomplished by causing the bracket to turn from the downward vertical position it stands in when the air impulse box is in air gripping relation to the blanks, to? a horizontal position, which change of position, it accomplishes by being moved through a quarter circle turning movement by the bar 9, which quarter turning move# ment turns the air impulse device also from the horizontal `position in which it receives and grips the finishing blank, and moves it over to and deposits it on the platen and continues to the end of its operative stroke,

'zov

at which point itis swung up and changed from its operative horizontal position into a vertical position before it starts back on its backward stroke, which moves it out of the path of the `form block rand allows it to pass the form block 8 on its return backward and inoperative stroke. When, however, it has passed the form block 8, and before it reaches the end of its backward stroke, it is again turned down into its horizontal position and completes the remainder of its stroke in that position .and-'moves under at the" end'of its backward stroke another inishingblank which the air impulse draws down against it with a gripping force that holds it firmly vto ift, after which it 'again starts on its operative blank feeding will be fully'explained hereinafter.

The pneumatic impulse device that grips and moves and releases the blanks in alternate order from their gummed location to a redetermined position on the platen 7 where the boxes tofbe covered will register on top of them, may be made in a number of ways, but as illustrated, it preferably-comprises a hollow chambered member, which I preferably illustrate in the form of a hollow rectangular b oX, and which' I will term the air impulse box. This air impulse box is provided with a row of air inlet and outlet apertures 57, that are arranged to extend ,through its top surface4, adjacent to its :front end, and they .extend across its width. his air impulse box is made wrdeenough Ito-:grip the largest size. blanks that are to lso be used, and whenblanks are used that are of smaller size than the largest size blanks used, the air holes in the box outside of these smaller' or narrower blanks can be closed by pasting pieces of paper over them.

The air box is preferably made to feed blanks for boxes of different-sizes ranging from about 13 by 20- inches square, down to boxes of about lby 3?,- inches square.

The table 2 upon which the blanks are placed and registered to be gripped by the air impulse box, is adjustably and slidably mounted on a supporting frame 59, by means of a bracket G0, that allows it to be Amoved and adjustably set-by any suitable means toward or away from the platen 7, of the box covering machine, to accommodate it to receive small or large size finishing blanks in a registering position that will permit them to be gripped by the air impulse box,I and the bracket 3G, is likewise adjustably set on the bar 9, by a set screw 37, to any position desired to adjust the air impulse box to small or large finishing blanks. As illustrated, the top of the frame is provided with a bolt receiving slot G2, on which the bracket of the table is arranged to slide and which is arranged to allow the heads of the bolts to clamp against the side surfaces of the slot, and bolts 63, having properly shaped heads 64, fit into the slots and clamp the bracket 60, of the table to the top of the frame in adjusted positions. This air impulse box 5 preferably forms an integral part of the bracket 3G and projects from its lower end and stands at right angles to it, and` when in an operative blank moving position stands in a horizontal plane, while the bracket stands in a vertical plane. This air box is provided with an entrance aper ture at its bracket end,and a pipe 'nipple G5 is secured to it. Au elbow GG is threaded`to the nipple, and to theelbow a nipple 67 is threaded, and to this nipple (i7 one end of a piece of hose 68 is secured. This hose extends to and is secured to one end of a pipe 69, the opposite end of which is secured to the air actuating end of an air pump 70, which is preferably mounted on the frame l of the box covering machine in a position to be driven from the driving shaft 34 of the machine. This air pump comprises a cylinder provided with one closed end 71, and one open end 72, and in the cylinder a suitably packed piston head is reciprocally mounted, from which a short piston rod 73 extends. to which one end of a connecting rod 7 3^ is pivotcd, through the end of the cylinder, and at its outer end it is pivotally connected to one end of a. rock arm 74; the opposite end of the rock arm is pivotally connected to the frame 1. This rock arm 7l., is also pivotally connected to one end of a forked lever 75, the opposite end 75A, of which is forked, and straddles the disk 77 which is mounted on and issecured to the driving shaft 34. This cam slot 76, the forked lever 75 and the rock arm, act under the rotative action of the driving shaft to reciprocate the connecting rod, the piston rod and piston head in the cylinder.

The operation of my pneumatically operating method and apparatus for feeding box covering and finishing blanks to box covering machines, is as follows: Power from any suitable source having been applied through the medium of a belt to the pulley 58, a rotary motion is imparted to the driving shaft and the cams 33, 52 and 77, through the worm gearing. An attendant then having placed a blank against the registering plates on the table 2, which forms the blank starting and registering station, in which position one side of it will hang over the end of the table 2, and assuming that the air box is in position under 'the adjacent over-hanging sideof the blank, then an outward stroke of the piston head and its rods, due to the rotary movement of the cam 77 and the oscillating movements of the forked lever 75, and the rock arm, will cause an air suction force in the closed end of the air pump cylinder, which draws air into the air apertures 57,- in the top. surface i 4 of the box 5, and as these air apertures are directly under the blank, the suction force ofthe air draws the over-hanging side of the blank down tight against the top surface of the box over 'and against the entrance of the apertures 'of the air suction box. This grips with a drawing suction action the side edge of the blank against the surface of the box. This suction action takes place the instant the piston head starts on its outward stroke, and instantly afterward the cam 52, through its rotary movement, causes the forked lever 47 and crank lever 45 to pull and move the square rod 9 on the operative stroke of its reciprocal movement, which operative stroke moves the air box with the blank still held to it by the force of the suction, over and onto the top of the platen 7, where, at a predeterniincd registering point, the cam 77 and lethe form block 8 of the box covering machine. It will thus be seen that the suction action of the pump is timed to be continuous from the time it grips a blank until the blank is fed `over onto the platen 7,.where it is instantly released by the breaking of the suction force, whichtakes place the instant the outward stroke movement of thepump is reversed, and the piston head of the air pump starts on its inward stroke, which is an air compression stroke, and drives the air, if any, out of the cylinder and 'out of the hose and air box. Thus suction force action, as well as the outward pressure flowing action ofthe air under the action of the air pump, is an air impulse action; as the blank moving stroke of the air box is a quick stroke, the cam and levers that actuate the rod 9 and the air box being arranged to move the air'box quickly over the platen from the table; consequently but a second or two or but a fraction of that time is required in which the air suction box grips and moves a blankfrom the registering table 2, to the platen. Having arrived at the endof its blank feeding stroke, the air impulse .box is instantly turned and swung up from its horizontal vposition to an edgewise vertical position -by the cam 33, and levers 29 and 27, Which action moves', the air impulse box thlough -an arc of a quarter of a circle and vswings it laterally to one side of and out of the path -of the form block 8 and the instant the cam and its' levers again act to move the box backward on its return or inoperative Astroke past the form block, and after ithas passed the form block, and b'efore it reaches the, end of its backward stroke, and while it is still moving, the cam and levers actuate the bevel gears toswing it down and back into its normal horizontal position, in which position it completes its backward strokeand movesup to the adjacent edge of the table 2, and under the overhanging side of-another blank, thus completingrthe cycle 'of its reciprocal blank gripping, feeding and depositing movement.

My invention provides a simple, quickacting, reliable feeding apparatus for feeding box covering and finishing blanks to box covering machines, and while I have il'lustra-ted and described the preferred construction and arrangement of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the construction r yand arrangement shown, as many changes might be -made without departing from the spiritl of my invention. f

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In 'a blank-feeding device for box-covering machines, the combination of a blank registering table,'a platen, a box-forming -member coperating with said platen, a blank gripping device for feeding the blanks from said table to said platen, means for moving said gripping device from. said table to said platen and return, said gripping device passing between the box-forming box-forming member on its return stroke.'

2. In a blank-feeding device for box-covering machines, the combination of a blankregistering table, a platen, a box-forming member cooperating With said platen; areciprocating rod, a pneumatic blank gripping device carried by said rod for feeding the blanks from saidA table to said platen, means for moving said gripping device from said table to said platen and return, said gripping device passing between the boxforming member and the platen on its for- Wardvstroke, means for moving the' gripping device to one side of the platen and the boxforming member on its return stroke, and means for alternately creating a suction and a pressure in said pneumatic device.

3. In a box-covering machine having a frame, a reciprocating rod mounted in bearings on said frame, a blank-gripping device adj ustably mounted on one end of said rod, means for reciprocating said rod comprising a yoke lever connectedto the other end of said rod, a bell-crankl link pivoted in the frame and connected to said yoke lever, a driving-shaft having a cam mounted thereon, and a cam lever connected at one end to said bell-crank lever, and at the other enr 4. In a box-covering machine having a frame, a reciprocating rod mounted in bearings on said frame, a blank-gripping device adjustably mounted on one end of said rod, means for partially rotating said reciprocating rod during one of its strokes comprising a hub rotatably received in one of the bearings for said rod, said hub having a squared aperture through which said rod passes, a bevel gear on one end of said hub, a second bevel gear meshing with the first bevel gear, a crank connected to said second' bevel gear, a bell-crank lever, a link con-- nected at one end to said crank and at the other end to said lever, said lever being pivoted in the frame, a cam roller intermediate the ends of said lever, a driving shaft l having a cam mounted thereon, said cam cooperating with said cam-roller to actuate said lever. v

operating with said camfandrmeans for partially rotating said rod during one of its reciprocating strokes.

6. -In a box-covering machine having a frame, a reciprocating rod mounted in bearings on said frame, a blank-gripping device adjustably mounted on one end of said rod, means for reciprocating said rod, means for partially rotating s aid reciprocating rod during one of its strokes comprising a hub rotatably received in one of the bearings for said rod, said hub having a squared aperture through which said rod passes, a bevel gear on one end of said hub', a second bevel gear meshing with the first bevel gear, a crank connected to said second bevel gear, a bell-crank lever, a link connected at one end to said crank and at the other end to said lever, said lever being pivoted in the frame, a cam-roller intermediate the ends of said lever, a driving shaft having a cam mounted thereon, said cam cooperating with said cam-roller to actuate said lever.

7.1ln a box-covering machine having a frame, a reciprocating rod mounted in bearings on said frame, a blank-gripping device adjnstably mounted on one end of said rod,

means for reciprocating said rod comprising a yoke-lever connected to the other end of said rod, a bell-crank lever pivoted in the fra-me and connected to said yoke lever, a driving shaft having a cam mounted thereon, a cam lever connected at one end to said bell-crank lever, and at the other end cooperating with said cam, means for partially rotating said reciprocating rod during one of its strokes comprising a hub rotatably received in one of the bearings for said rod, said hub having a squared aperture through which said rod passes,a bevel gear on one end of said hub, a second bevel gear meshing with the first bevel gear, a crank connected to said second bevel gear, a bell-crank llever, a link connected at one end to said crank and at the other end to said lever, said lever being pivoted in the frame, a cam-.

roller intermediate the ends of said lever, a driving shaft having a cam mounted thereon, said cam cooperating with said camroller to actuate sai'd lever.

8. In a machine of the character described, a rod, a suction device mounted on said rod, means for reciprocating said rod, means for imparting a quarter rotation to said rod at the limit of its rearwardstroke and for reversing its rotation at the end of its forward stroke, and meansfor exhausting air from and admitting air to said suction device at predetermined intervals.

S). In a pneumatically operating blank feeding apparatus for box covering machines, in combination, an adjustable blank registering table for receiving said blank, arranged and adapted to register said blank in a position in which it can be gripped and tween it and said form block on the blank feeding stroke of its reciprocal movement, and arranged and adapted to move to' one side of said form block on the backward stroke of its reciprocal movement, and means for effecting said reciprocal move.- ment.

10. In a pneumatically operating apparatus for feeding blanks to box covering machines, the combination of the adjustable blank receiving and registering table arranged to be placed adjacent to a box covering machine, and arranged to register blanks with a portion projecting beyond the end of the table closest to said box covering machine, said box covering machine being provided with a blank receiving platen and a reciprocating form block arranged to move against said platen, an air impulse Adevice arranged to grip said projecting portion of said blank at said table, reciprocal means for moving said air impulse device from said table between said platen and form block on one stroke of its reciprocal movement, and means for turning said air impulse device to one side of said form block on its backward stroke and for returning it into its blank gripping position after it has passed the form block and before it completes the rearward stroke of its reciprocall movement.

11. In a neumatically operating appara! tus for fee ing blanks to box covering machines, the'combination of the adjustable blank receiving and registering table and the box covering machine provided With a platen and form block, and a driving shaft, the bar reciprocally mounted on said box covering machine, the air impulse box mounted on one end of said bar and, arranged to be moved reciprocally to and from said table and platen and to grip, feed and deposit blanks registered on said table onto said platen, a swiveling connection at the' opposite end of said reciprocating barv from its air impulse box supporting end, a link pivotally connected at one end to said swiv- .eling'connection and pivotally connected at its opposite end to a crank arm, said crank arm being pivotally connected intermediate of its ends to said machine and at its opposa site end to a forked lever, the opposite end of which is forked, and straddles the driving shaft of said machine, said forked lever` boing provided with a roller intermediate of st I its ends and a cam mounted on said driving sha'tt of said machine and provided with a cam groove arranged to be engaged by said roller, said cam and forked lever and cam lever being so relatively arranged and adapted to impart a reciprocal stroke movement to said reciprocal movement bar of sufficient throw to cause said air impulse'box to operatively feed blanksv from said table to the blank receiving platen ot' said machine.

1:2. In a 'ineumatically operating ap )aratus, for box covering machines, the com ination of the registering table and the frame, the platen and the form block, and the driving shaft of a box covering machine, with the air impulsev box supporting bar mounted in said frame, the air'impulse box adjustably mounted on one end ot' said bar and ar-2 ranged to be moved reciprocally between said table and said platen, and arranged to feed blanks from said table to said platen, the swiveling connection at the opposite end of said bar from said air impulse box, the cam mounted on said driving shaft and the lever connections between said cani and said swiveling connection arranged to impart an operative reciprocal stroke to said bar, and an air ,impulse box of sufficient throw to move a blank from said table to said platen, a bevel gear journaled to said fran'ie and loosely mounted on and keyed to said rod and adapted to partially rotate it, said rod being reciprocally moiinted on said gear, a

`second bevel gear journaled in said frame and in mesh with said rods first named gear, said second gear being provided with a projecting arm, the outer end of which is pivotally attached to one end of a lever, the opposite end of said lever being pivotally attached to one end of a rock arm, the opposite end of which is pivotally supported by said frame, a roller mounted on said rock arm intermediate of its ends, and a cam mounted on said shaft provided with a cam groovein which said roller projects whereby a quarter turning movement is imparted to said rod and air impulse box on its backward stroke of sufficient throw to avoid said form block.

13. In a pneumatically operating apparatus for feeding blanks to box covering -machines, the combination of -the blank, the blank receiving and registering table, and the box covering machine provided with a driving shaft, a blankreceiving platen and a form block, with an air impulse box provided with air inlet apertures arranged and adapted to grip said blank by an air suction impulse and to release them by an air pressure impulse, means mounted on said shaft and including an air pump supported byA said 'ame and connected by tubular connections to said air box, and including a cam, levers and other instrumentalities for creating an alternating air actuating suction and air pressure impulses at predetermined periods of time in said air impulse lever, a reciprocating -rod ar anged to adjustably support said air impulse box, and means including cams mounted on said driving shaft, and coperating groups ot' levers, gears, and rock arms between said cams and arrangedto be actuated thereby to impart to said reciprocating rod and air impulse box a reciprocal stroke that will move said air impulse box Jfrom said' blank registering table to said platen under said form block, and that will return it to one side of said form block until clear of it and then move it into blank gripping relation to said blank registering table, said air pump being timed to grip said blank at said table by air suction and to release it when it is on said platen, by air pressure.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MELVILLE E. PETERS.

W itncsses (l. SARGENT ELLIOTT, KATHERINE V. BAKER. 

